The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-03-08
BRIC-A-BRAC BURGLARS.
CURlO COLLECTORS WHO STEAL
RARE WORKS OF ART.
A Queer Old Man with a fass'o" '''
Quaint Things-Romance Of Rem
Observation-Disclosures i'm the Libraries->tu-
dio SDeaks.

4
dio Sneaks.
@yve have to keep our eyes open to prevent
our stocl, Icing carried off, =" said Broadway
bric-a-brac dealer the other day "You have
no idea what really respectable men ana
women are tempted 10 steal valuable piece
Of porcelain or curio or a rare com when iIlS
mt so conveniently before them as the things (
are in this store. We display everything
very freely, but there IS always one oi lne
employees idling around in an unconcerlieu
SORT Of WAY who looks out for our interests
Are your customers ever tempueu "
poc,et your wares" he was asked
"Well, now and then we have case oi Una,
kind. but of course nothing can he DONE anu
unless the article taken has some special artis-
/ tic value we say nothing about 1t, lor we
| should lose a good deal of custom II we diu
not overlook the eccentricities OF the klep'o
maniacs. The collectors are the worse Anid
we have to deal with. You see tha' oio ma"
over there" pointing in the direction Oh
very respectable old gentleman WIN "ni'e
hair and "A aueerdried up face ana clothed III "
lone and seedy ulster He was sbuilling along
from one shelf to another, examining every
thing furtively with his sharp, niue, lerIe'
like eyes %
"That man." said the dealer, mas one Oh
fine finest porcelain collections IN TINS cl'y'
lie used to lie rich, but now guess ne i'l'
to hustle to get his three meals day WoP
erlv When he was well off 1 thought noun
ing of selling him $1,000 worth oi soouS Z.
erv month. but he hasn't spent cehC nei -, y,
vea,s. and have TO watch the Old chap nan
fine time 10 see that he doesn't walk OIL WIN
1T ind
my best things, for there isn't Detter Juueo
of tbe value of work of art thah ne III
America" ,,-,.. 49,,
At the Astor and Mercantile libraries nu-
merous tricks and devices are used ny uh'
scrupulous collectors of prints to get possession
of some rare picture or edition Iney el'nei
cut fine desired illustration out OF the Dooh'
tbus running it forever, or take the "orA
ovay with them when they 60 substituting
orotber volume already prepared Ill its
,,Iaco Since print collecting has come 10 DC
,,o,,lar some elegant works belonging 70
r,c V.w York libraries have been ruthlessiy
DESTROYED and very often stolen he ohly
way 10 nut a stop 10 these depredaIloiiS - y
l,oo, constant watch, and even theh st
tricl,v are the thieves and so fertile OF device
tbat they carry on their practices oeheaUi
the very eyes of the Librarians. 20
ID II was only a few weeks ago that q maghlii
-h o,nt ouarto was destroyed in library D.
one of these vandals, armed with shlil
l,uife and n strong artistic desire to caPuuI0
T. rare print at the expense OF his prlhciPie9
honor Artistic thieves are sometimes
very respectable families which the lolioM III
in.iI,nt well known to most New hOr
artist, and Bohemians, will illustrate;
Gentleman living in West Forty-secoh
.+,.oot owned among other paintings "A re'
po,oh,ondt which he had purchased
Turona at a good round price, and which wa
very fair specimen Of that artists "or'
Tbo other uictur,s were all light WORKS
American painters but this picture, on a
cunt If its value. occupied room by llSel
AMI its owner wac very proud OF MS PoS9e
D eio, When hard times struck that iahh
n .t.',,.-Iocto,. was compelled to hand ever
tl,i,e- ov,rto the auctioneer IL was 'hen u
D ,,.,..,.d thgt the Rembrandt, that mu'
2 trso.,-a.l painting 80 which all Murray II
% had bowed in reverence was houhliB o"'
clever forgery. ,...o,,,o,
Il The g.ntleman who had owned it 50 mai
u wears. and who considered himself no iie
ID iudos of art. was dumbfounded ana won
not holeve fl. An investigation proved III
40 the canvas on which the picture was pam
els. ha3 tbe stamp of New York firm on u,
thot - dryinr varnsh had been mixed '"
,Lo noint that was invented only J"el
nP.. vaat.s 400 The fact that the picture was
crrs was definitely settled by the aIIlNai
jk to,n Of q wealthy Brazilian who sald ile
Il purchased in Europe the original OF tne pai
mo and that all the critics IN LONDON
" poris had combined in saying that he ha
Us genuine Rembrandt
Us detectives were fua'Y set TO WORK 10 LEI
% ont the mystery and soon made eVerytn
cIoar The son Of the American colec'
. who was a wild and dissipated young III
q had +al,an an artist friend into his cohilde
- and together they plotted to exchange
,,onuine nicture for a copy Inc lrI
1yorked ON the copy at night and soon !
d,cod - fair imitation, while the son WIN
ctive real picture went to Europe ana 'neio
aYy ceaded in selling it to the Brazilian.
rohE I'm Pbilade,lhia another great picture
TkeI ,iri.oJ a,vov for a long while by much
,'d ug san,o means and not returned until the WI
this of the law were set in motion. Every
and ond thon we hear through the press OF
z the robbery Of an art gallery, puI hului = =
eaNy such thefts are committed Whic" '"o ~
men at large never hear or Ar'sls WIZ =
idly. tor the su,ii','' -. strdios ransacked
hink turn 10 hhu ',i'n aint;ros cut from
when some OF their DeSD P''i'''-
tedly frames. -,,..,i,,, of
drop The man who owns hne cIile1',o,. ',o.,o
a-brac or paintings or curlos ha' ~
at Al 90 Ioo, aef,r the visitors and admirers )l
IN re- .,,.ae,,,.as than among the servants OF
very NJ, a,, amateur who is badly b
II for with the crazs OIL tS cote's1 ~ LONG as he
aI t,,c, ,ghsn the money gives OUT he
sto,l .'.'' ot the first chance the coveted al
p so 1vi with h he admires and must own. The The
ao,a ",-' thief has royal scorn for artistic
hogs. age 'ni'- l,o considers it will bring
gross eNcep' inst as leave steal sonnet
on 10 price lie "o'ii,' - - soIahle for q pail
gross less artistic anu ii'ol = hard 70 dspose